BEFORE the disaster Rachael soaks up the atmosphere in Bourbon Street, the home of jazz in the Deep South.

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AS THOUSANDS fled New Orleans to escape the devastating hurricane Katrina, a 16-year-old Heywood girl was caught up in the race to get out alive.

Rachael Sugden, from Birnam Grove, Darnhill, has been 'living out her dream' on a three-month visit to the US.

But that dream came close to becoming a nightmare with a trip to the Gulf Coast city the weekend immediate evacuation was ordered.

Rachael has been staying in Arkansas with her Aunt Madeline since July but her American adventure has taken her to many states.

Last week she was looking forward to taking in more of the sights from New Orleans' famous French Quarter.

But by Bank Holiday Monday the hotel she should still have been staying in was in ruins.

The former St Joseph's High School student described how the atmosphere before the disaster was calm. "It was almost impossible to believe that in just under 24 hours a hurricane would be hitting," she said.

With reports that traffic on highways was moving and her aunt's mobile ringing with a stream of worried friends urging them to get out, they hurriedly packed their suitcases and prepared to evacuate.

"As I left the hotel I glanced at the town surrounding me and considered that news reporters had forecast that by Monday all this would be washed away."

Rachael said it was only as they began to drive away that the force of the drama caught up with her.

"The police were everywhere and there were millions of cars all wanting the same thing - an escape route.

"We were really lucky that we had somewhere to go, that we were only in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately for the thousands evacuated with us that wasn't the case."

Rachael was straight on the phone to her mum Helen to let her know she had got out safely. Helen, 41, said: "She's very good at thinking about other people's feelings and made sure we all knew she was okay before we really had time to worry.

"I was more concerned when she got on the plane on her own to go out there.

"It's odd to think now that she will have been one of the last visitors to see New Orleans the way it was."

But despite being caught up in the one of the worst natural disasters America has seen, it certainly hasn't dampened her spirit for travel.

She describes with enthusiasm how she visited Memphis, taking in a tour of Graceland, the Civil Rights Museum and her own personal highlight, a trip to a lively gospel church.

She is keeping a 'diary of America' to keep alive memories of the tour and said that for her, the hard part was not travelling half way across the world alone but saying goodbye to grandad Gerard, of Atholl Drive, who she describes as her 'hero'.

Bitten by the travel bug she is now planning to go to Bury College to study leisure and tourism.